Pakistan Army Chief Asim Munir Leads Crackdown Cutting Blasphemy Cases

A military‑led crackdown overseen by Pakistan’s army chief Field Marshal Asim Munir has reduced the number of registered blasphemy cases by roughly two‑thirds this year. The effort was evident in Karachi, where police officer Sanghaar Ali Malik and his unit confronted a mob of hundreds that had gathered after blasphemy allegations were made against a Christian family. Malik told the crowd, “No religion allows you to take the law into your own hands,” and the crowd dispersed after assurances of police investigation, with the usual hardline Islamist instigators absent.

Sources say the crackdown is driven by Munir’s desire to improve Pakistan’s international image and deepen economic ties with the West, especially the United States, and reflects a shift away from the military’s historic backing of fundamentalist groups. The military and interior ministry have not commented on the operation.